Vjeqare Ylberi School

The company of Mary, a religious order based in Tirana, wanted to realize a project that would epitomize its young users as well as appeal to all the citizens. The school complex, which houses a primary and and a junior secondary school, stands on the outskirts of the city centre. It is built on a north-south axis and extends over three levels, one of which is below ground level. The project combines geometrical simplicity with a variety of colours and materials. Volumes and surfaces are intertwined, providing visitors with dynamic perspectives of the different colourful areas within the building. The front is rhythmically divided by a row of thin columns that pierce the porch roof at random angles, like trees inviting the youngsters to play around them. The frame of the building is made of reinforced concrete, clad with layers of bricks, plasterboard, mineral wool, stone and plaster, thus integrating diverse materials and colours without becoming too kitsch.